Associate Researcher Senior at The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas

Job Description:

Position Overview

The University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies(IHDPS), a leading research center in the field of disability and health, is searching for a half-time Senior Research Associate. This position will focus on developing and supporting grant projects with a focus on designing and implementing large-scale projects in the areas of health and health policy, employment, and community participation for people with disabilities. Research interests may include but are not limited to topics such as survey research, disability measurement, policy analysis, mixed methods, claims analysis, and participatory research.


The Senior Research Associate will lead the design, planning and implementation of research and evaluation projects and will provide methodological expertise for a range of projects across IHDPS. Additional responsibilities will include contributing to proposal development for external funding opportunities, developing technical documentation and disseminating project findings, and other duties as assigned. Critical to the role is the ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively with colleagues, and be responsive to project needs. The successful candidate must have a proven ability to independently manage multiple tasks and projects with competing priorities and deadlines and write for all audiences.

IHDPS is recognized as a national leader in disability survey research and disability measurement. IHDPS staff currently conduct the ongoing National Survey on Health and Disability (https://ihdps.ku.edu/nshd) and partner with more than 60+ researchers from 30+ universities and research organizations in analyzing the data (see a list of NSHD-related publications here: https://ihdps.ku.edu/nshd-publications). IHDPS also leads and collaborates on several state-funded projects related to Medicaid and employment for Kansans with disabilities. The person in this position will continue and grow these collaborations while also maintaining funding for current and future projects.

IHDPS is part of the Life Span Institute (LSI), one of the largest and most prestigious research units at the University of Kansas. LSI supports more than 100 active projects annually, providing access to extensive resources and infrastructure, including grant management specialists, data analysis experts, and communications professionals.

This position is located at the Lawrence campus but can be designated as a hybrid or remote work environment.


Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California and Delaware. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

KU's excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and support each other's success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. before the start of the position.

KU offers great benefits to employees, including paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and a discretionary day each year, in addition to a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life insurance, and other benefit plan options. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities. See benefits.ku.edu for more details.

Job Description50%

• Lead the design, planning, and implementation of research and evaluation projects.


• Conceptualize research studies, develop and manage research and evaluation plans and timelines, and monitor integrity of data collection and use of protocols and procedures.


• Conduct quantitative and/or qualitative analyses and interpret results.

30%

• Collaborate with colleagues, both as a lead and as a support, to develop proposals for externally funded initiatives aligned with IHDPS priorities.


• Serve as key personnel on funded projects.

15%

• Collaborate with other staff to develop technical documentation and disseminate project findings, including scholarly journal articles, briefs, and other products for a variety of audiences, along with presentations to external groups.

5%

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. Doctoral degree in disability studies, public health, health policy, special education, sociology, psychology, or closely related field from an accredited institution.


2. Minimum of five years of postdoctoral research experience designing and conducting disability-related research projects, with research and publication record in areas such as community participation, employment, housing, health care, and quality of life for people with disabilities as evidenced in application materials.


3. Documented understanding of the broad complex, dynamic, and the nature of disability research and familiarity with the varied perspectives of multiple stakeholders as indicated by application materials.


4. Experience serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on externally funded research projects as evidenced in application materials.


5. Demonstrated experience preparing successfully funded state and/or federal research proposals as evidenced in application materials.


6. Demonstrated professional writing skills, including research reports, peer-reviewed research articles, other print and electronic publications, and experience presenting at conferences and professional meetings as indicated by application materials.


7. Five years of experience designing and supporting analyses for research projects.


8. Demonstrated expertise in quantitative research methodology as demonstrated by application materials (i.e., publication and presentation history).


9. Experience in at least one data analysis program (e.g., SPSS, Stata, SAS, R) as evidenced in application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Currently hold grant funding as a PI or co-PI for active research projects related to areas such as health, community participation, employment, housing, health care, and quality of life for people with disabilities as evidenced in application materials.


2. Specific knowledge and interest in health and health policy for people with disabilities as indicated by application materials.


3. Three or more years of experience in developing and managing project-related budgets and timelines.


4. Five or more years of experience directing federally and state funded research projects.


5. Strong organizational and communication skills as demonstrated by application materials.


6. Three years of proficiency with analytic software such as SPSS, Stata, SAS, or R.


7. Previous experience working with people with disabilities including systemic barriers as evidenced in application materials.

Additional Candidate InstructionsIn addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.

Resume

List of three (3) professional references

Writing sample

Application review begins Monday, April 7, 2025. For consideration, please apply no later than Sunday, April 6, 2025.
Contact Information to ApplicantsNoelle Kurth
pixie@ku.eduAdvertised Salary Range$45,000 to $46,000Work Schedule20 hours per weekApplication Review BeginsMonday April 7, 2025Anticipated Start DateThursday May 1, 2025Apply to Job

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